TLT-Turbo Africa has been awarded the contract for the supply and installation of a turnkey solution for underground ventilation and fume extraction for Kamoa Copper SA, located 25 km outside of Kolwezi in the DRC.
Kamoa Copper SA forms part of the Kamoa-Kakula copper project, which is a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines, Zijin Mining Group and the Government of the DRC.
Fans ready for shipment to Kamoa.
TLT-Turbo Africa is designing, manufacturing and supplying a bifurcated axial flow fan station for the extraction of mine fumes as well as auxiliary and booster fans for Kamoa’s underground operation. The company will also oversee the installation of the fans and provide assistance with commissioning.
The contract was secured in October 2018, with commissioning due to begin in July 2019. TLT-Turbo Africa was appointed by DRA Projects, which is handling EPCM (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management) on the project. DRA managed the tender process and is currently overseeing the execution phase.
According to TLT-Turbo’s Madeleine Pretorius, the project presents challenges from a logistical point of view. The site is remote and accessing it involves multiple border crossings and often poor road conditions. “This means complicated logistic solutions,” says Pretorius. “TLT-Turbo has the benefit of a broad suite of options to minimise the need for abnormal or complex loads.”
She adds that the TLT-Turbo Africa offering and approach positions it as a preferred supplier for ventilation solutions in challenging locations. “We provide an energy efficient solution where power costs are high, and availability can be erratic. Our product is designed for long-term reliability and durability, with simple maintenance requirements and minimal downtime, which is critical for our remote clients.”
Mike van Oerle, Sales Manager at TLT-Turbo Africa, says that TLT-Turbo’s approach will provide several benefits to Kamoa’s operations. These include standardised equipment that is designed for simple installation and maintenance, which means that TLT-Turbo’s fans can be maintained by the client on site without the need for costly expert inspections.
“TLT-Turbo is providing highly efficient products to meet Kamoa’s interim ventilation and power requirements, with flexibility for future re-deployment at an alternative ventilation position,” he says.
